Page 32 - ALG Issue 2 2018 html

General
On the Kings Plot...
December to the end of February
How pleased I have been that I started my winter digging in November, as December and much of January was very wet
or too frosty to get a spade into the ground. Luckily I managed to finish all my winter digging on the 4th February, still allowing plenty of time for the penetrating frosty weather in late February and forecasted for early March to break down the soil ready for the spring. It won’t be long before we get a few drying winds to help dry out the top of the soil so the surface can have a crome or a rake pulled through it to help bring it down to a crumbly structure and kill off any tiny weed seedlings that may have started to emerge.
The winter brassicas have been good this year; I have virtually finished my Brussels sprouts and Savoy cabbages, but still have plenty of Kale to harvest along with Purple sprouting broccoli, my wife’s favourite.
One crop that has been a real success has been the winter Cauliflower Cendis F1. These were sown in early June last year and I cut some beautiful large heads in February. Cendis has good leaf cover so protects the pure white curds well during the cold frosty weather and I must admit made some very tasty Cauliflower Cheese at a time of year when you don’t expect it. Why not give Cauliflower Cendis F1 a try on your plot this year?
Thinking ahead as gardeners do, my seed potatoes are all laid 32
out ready to start chitting in a cool but frost-free greenhouse so I get short green shoots. As the ground has been so wet my shallots have been planted in cell trays in a cold greenhouse so they can be planted out in early April once the weather and soil conditions have improved.
The Onion Globos sown at Christmas are all pricked out into
trays and growing well despite the low light levels we have been experiencing this winter. The Leek pips rooted in November are already 15cm (6in) tall and almost as thick as a pencil, so are being supported with little canes and clips. These will be ready to plant out in May and ready to harvest by September for my local show.
It won’t be long before more sowings will be made under glass of brassicas, early tomatoes and peppers along with some early peas all ready for planting out later. Outdoor sowings will start as soon
as the weather and soil conditions improve: see my top 10 tips to success.
Let’s hope the spring is kind to us all, and it is a good growing season, and don’t forget if any NSALG member has a seed problem and needs some advice, the team at Kings Seeds are always at the end of a phone to help.
Happy Gardening!
By Andrew Tokely, Horticultural Director for Kings Seeds